MANILA – When the country’s advertising industry convened in 2014 for Ad Summit Pilipinas, it entered the age of enlightenment. Now that the path to creative renaissance has been illuminated, it’s time for the industry to come out boldly and to seize expanding opportunities in the region to discover the next big thing in marketing communications.
Bannering the theme, “Come Out and Play,” the Association of Accredited Advertising Agencies of the Philippines (4A’s) officially launched the master plan for Ad Summit Pilipinas 2016, to be held from March 9 to 12 at the Subic Bay Exhibition and Convention Center.
Conceptualized by the creative team of Lowe Philippines, “Come Out and Play” is a natural progression following the age of enlightenment.
“Play allows one to view possibilities where there was none before. It sees no obligations, just a wealth of opportunities. Ad Summit Pilipinas 2016 is an invitation for marketing practitioners to see the brighter side of things—to spot opportunities amidst industry challenges in order to propel brands into the future,” explained Ad Summit 2016 Chair Alex Syfu.
“There is a constant need to shake the community out of its comfort zone, to keep it from falling into the trap of focusing on the trials that seem to plague us these days. Through the forthcoming Ad Summit, we hope to help the marketing practitioners stay inspired, brimming with ideas, and extremely hopeful about the industry,” he added.
To achieve this, organizers of Ad Summit 2016 intend to transcend the successes of the previous summit by bringing in a new slew of global icons and locally-renowned experts as speakers. Participants from the advertising and marketing industry can expect a more provocative line-up of topics and a more engaging set of activities that will encourage us to frolic during the four-day meet.
Another highpoint of Ad Summit Pilipinas 2016 is the staging of the “Kidlat Awards” of the Creative Guild of the Philippines, which is the country’s most prestigious creative advertising competition.
“All told, expect the unexpected,” Syfu said. “There will be no boring item in our program. There will be plenty of surprises in store for our colleagues. It’s going to be a fun 2016 for the industry. Let’s all come out and play.”
First Batch of Speakers
Among the first batch of experts confirmed to speak during the Summit are Google SEA and India’s vice president and managing director Rajan Anandan; McCann’s global executive creative director John Mescall; TBWA Greater China’s president and chief creative officer Nils Andersson; Mullen Lowe Group’s president of Creative Council Jose Miguel Sokoloff; and Twitter’s marketing director of online sales for Asia Pacific and Latin America Aliza Knox.
Google’s Rajan Anandan, who oversees the online giant’s operations in the region, is known in India as one of its most aggressive angel investors—putting money into various Internet, mobile, and software startups, which he believes can affect the most change in and around the country. Prior to his work with Google SEA and India, he held management positions in Microsoft and Dell.
McCann’s John Mescall, for his part, is the mastermind behind some of the most awarded campaigns in Australia, his home country, including the world-famous “Dumb Ways to Die” advertisements for Australian transport company Metro Trains. Before his position at McCann, Mescall was executive creative director and partner at SMART, one of the most successful and awarded independent advertising agencies in his country. He has done work for such companies like Adidas, ANZ Bank, Coca Cola, Ferrero, Levi’s, Mambo, McDonald’s, News Limited, Unilever, and Vodafone.
TBWA’s Nils Andersson has more than 15 years in the creative field. He has earned numerous awards for his campaigns and agencies, which include TBWA Japan, Ogilvy & Mather Greater China, and Y&R China. To date, his “Mic” campaign for Penguin books is considered among the most awarded print campaigns in the world.
For his part, speaker Jose Miguel Sokoloff advocates for the power of advertising in instilling positive social change. His campaign for the Colombian Ministry of Defense, which has convinced numerous guerrillas to demobilize and rejoin society, is by far his most impactful work.
Representing women power, Twitter’s Aliza Knox has decades of marketing and management experience. She has worked with prestigious companies such as Charles Schwab Corporation, iGlobe Partners, and Visa International.
Interested participants may contact the 4A’s secretariat at 813-4397 or 893-1205, or e- mail: 4asp@pldtdsl.net. Registration may also be done through the summit’s official website, www.adsummit.ph.
For more information, visit facebook.com/AdSummitPH, twitter.com/ADSummitPH and @adsummitpilipinas on Instagram.
